Modern games are fun, but there is something special about retro gaming. The simplicity of the games, the focus on fun over graphics, the limitation of the controls. These old games are just pure, simple fun. While you can play these games on a standard computer, the experience is just better in the environment the games were designed for, whether that be the living room or an arcade cabinet. Luckily, there are ways to replicate those experiences using modern and inexpensive computing hardware, like the Raspberry Pi.

Using a Raspberry Pi, you can emulate nearly any gaming experience you want. Using ROMs, which are replications of original game cartridges, you can play the old games exactly as they were made - glitches and all. Some ROMs have been made publicly available legally, while others are available without a proper license. You can also use a cartridge reader to read the games directly. Whatever your method, using an emulator is the key to the experience. It's important to know that the Raspberry Pi 4 currently does no support this, but official support is in the works. If you are a little more adventurous, you can try your hand at a bypass.

For a console-style experience, you can buy cases online, or 3D print a case, that matches your style. Whether it be an NES, a Super Nintendo, or Sega Genesis, you can make your Raspberry Pi look like the console you know and love. Some of the cases even come with USB versions of the matching controllers, including some of the links above.

For an arcade-style experience, some cases can replicate an arcade gaming stick or even an entire arcade cabinet, complete with screen, joystick, and buttons. You can also add an external USB arcade stick. Most of these projects require assembly, but others are mostly plug-and-play.